Airports: Heathrow

The Earl of Listowel: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	When they will provide a clerk to the Independent Monitoring Board at Heathrow Airport.

Lord West of Spithead: The UK Border Agency has agreed with the IMB secretariat that it will fund the post of clerk to the IMB at Heathrow Airport and the secretariat has agreed to undertake the recruitment process, which is due to start very soon

Bees

Baroness Thomas of Winchester: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will carry out a comprehensive review of the regulatory status of chemical control agents for varroa control as part of bee health management practice.

Lord Rooker: Defra is currently consulting on the draft strategy on protecting and improving the health of honeybees in England and Wales. The strategy lists as a priority activity that the Government and stakeholders will work to expand options for the effective management of varroa destructor and associated viruses, including authorisation of additional treatments and their sustainable use through integrated pest management.
	European legislation governs the authorisation and marketing of veterinary medicines for all animal species including bees and we are not aware of any plans to review the regulatory status of medicinal products to control varroa. Within the EU framework, the minor use/minor species initiative is being developed to provide opportunities to improve the availability of medicines to species where the manufacturers currently view the market as being limited. The minor use/minor species initiative is long term and the UK will be working with other member states to improve the availability of veterinary medicines.

British Coal Compensation

Lord Lofthouse of Pontefract: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What progress has been made in the criminal investigation into the British Coal litigation by the Serious Fraud Office and South Yorkshire Police, which commenced in July 2005; and what is the timescale for completing the enquiries.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: The SFO, together with South Yorkshire Police, is investigating allegations of serious and complex fraud in relation to the handling of claims brought under the DTI administered Coal Health Compensation Scheme. The investigation began in July 2005 and is continuing. It would not be appropriate to give details of the ongoing investigation. It is not yet known when the investigation will be completed.

Civil Service

Lord Patten: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What was the average age of civil servants employed by HM Treasury in each year since 1997.

Lord Davies of Oldham: The average age of civil servants employed by HM Treasury as at 31 March in each year since 2000 is as follows:
	
		
			 Year 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 
			 Age 36 36 36 36 35 36 36 36 37 
		
	
	The information prior to 2000 is not available.

Civil Service

Lord Patten: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many civil servants have been employed by the press office of HM Treasury in each year since 1997; and what was their average age in each of those years.

Lord Davies of Oldham: The number of press officer posts in the Treasury has remained constant at 10 full-time equivalents. One of these posts is vacant at present. The detailed information requested relating to average ages could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Civil Service

Lord Patten: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many civil servants currently employed by HM Treasury have worked there for at least (a) one, (b) three, (c) five, (d) seven, and (e) 15 years; and what percentage of the total number of civil servants in HM Treasury these figures represent.

Lord Davies of Oldham: As at 31 March 2008, the number of civil servants employed by HM Treasury by length of service is as follows:
	
		
			 Employed for at least Number of staff Percentage of total staff 
			 (a) 1 year 853 74% 
			 (b) 3 years 578 50% 
			 (c) 5 years 423 37% 
			 (d) 7 years 331 29% 
			 (e) 15+ years 201 17%

Computer Systems: Home Office

Lord Harris of Haringey: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	In respect of (a) the Home Office, (b) the Border and Immigration Service, (c) the Identity and Passport Service, and (d) the Criminal Records Bureau, on how many occasions in the last year malicious programs have compromised departmental computer systems; for each occasion, how many machines were affected; how long it took to remove the programs from the system; and what the impact was on the department's activities.

Lord West of Spithead: It is not in the public interest or the UK's national security interest for departments to confirm whether they hold information about attacks against their IT systems. This would enable individuals to deduce how successful the UK is in detecting these attacks and so assist such persons in testing the effectiveness of the UK's IT defences.

Computer Systems: NIO

Lord Harris of Haringey: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	In respect of the Northern Ireland Office, on how many occasions in the last year malicious programs have compromised departmental computer systems; for each occasion, how many machines were affected; how long it took to remove the programs from the system; and what the impact was on the department's activities.

Lord Rooker: It is not in the interest of the UK's national security for the Northern Ireland Office to confirm whether information is held about attacks on its IT systems. This would enable individuals to deduce how successful the Northern Ireland Office is in detecting these attacks and so assist such persons in testing the effectiveness of the Northern Ireland Office's IT defences. This is not in the public interest.

Economy: Growth Forecasts

Lord Steinberg: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they consider the International Monetary Fund's estimation of United Kingdom growth of 1.6 per cent in 2008 and 2009 is correct.

Lord Davies of Oldham: The Government published their own latest economic forecasts in the Financial Statement and Budget Report (HC 388) on March 12. The International Monetary Fund's forecasts are a matter for it.

Economy: Growth Forecasts

Lord Steinberg: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether the economy is growing or falling into recession.

Lord Davies of Oldham: The UK economy grew by 3 per cent in 2007, the fastest rate of any G7 country, and the UK economy is expected to continue to grow, as set out in Financial Statement and Budget Report 2008 (HC 388) on 12 March. Latest official data, released on 25 April, show that GDP grew by 0.4 per cent in the first quarter of 2008, the 63rd consecutive quarter of growth and the longest unbroken expansion on record.

Electrical Personal Assistive Mobility Devices

Lord Berkeley: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they plan to meet representatives of the Police Federation to discuss the introduction of electric personal assistive mobility devices into the United Kingdom to help police forces to cut response times to emergency calls; and
	What legislation would need to be amended to permit police forces in the United Kingdom to undertake a trial of electric personal assistive mobility devices.

Lord West of Spithead: The Government have no plans to meet representatives of the Police Federation to discuss the introduction of electric personal assistive mobility devices for use by police forces. Therefore, no detailed assessment of the changes to current legislation necessary to permit such trials has been made.

Energy: Renewables

Lord Taylor of Holbeach: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Mr Iain Wright MP, on 7 February (Official Report, Commons; col. 1321W), why applicants may not question the justification for the location of a renewable energy proposal; and whether this makes the planning process a formality.

Baroness Andrews: The Government are keen to encourage good-quality renewable energy applications in order to meet the twin challenges of responding to climate change and ensuring security of supply. Reflecting this, our new planning policy statement (PPS) on climate change expects planning authorities in England to provide a framework that promotes and encourages renewable energy.
	The PPS advises that applicants are not expected to demonstrate the overall need for renewable energy because new renewable energy projects offer crucial national benefits. Planning authorities are asked not to question the energy justification provided by the applicant for why a proposal must be sited in a particular location as this involves considerations of technical and commercial feasibility which are for the developer concerned. Planning authorities should address the environmental, social and economic impacts that arise from the proposed location of a renewable energy project.

EU: Applicant States

Lord Hylton: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether the guarantor powers of the Dayton agreement or its Peace Implementation Council can intervene concerning any application by Bosnia and Herzegovina to join the European Union.

Lord Malloch-Brown: The guarantor powers of the Dayton agreement and the Peace Implementation Council (PIC) cannot directly intervene concerning Bosnia and Herzegovina's application to join the EU. A number of members of the PIC contact group are also EU member states and as such participate in all major decisions on Bosnia and Herzegovina's progress towards the EU.

Money

Lord Taylor of Warwick: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Why the depiction of Britannia has been removed from the new 50 pence coin.

Lord Davies of Oldham: On 2 April 2008, the Royal Mint publicly announced a redesign of all UK coinage from the 1 pence to the £1 coin by a British designer. This was following a public competition, which was launched in August 2005 and closed in November 2005. The competition received a record response with over 4,000 entries. Many of the current set of reverses were first introduced in April 1968. The last time that a set of reverses has lasted so long was in Queen Victoria's reign, when some coins displayed the same reverse for 50 years before being redesigned in 1887. The new designs take a traditional theme and treat it in an innovative and contemporary manner. The new coins will circulate alongside the almost 28 billion currently circulating coins, including more than 800 million 50 pence coins depicting Britannia.

National Insurance

Baroness Hollis of Heigham: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What the estimated cost and numbers would be in 2010, 2020, 2030, 2040 and 2050 for United Kingdom and for non-United Kingdom residents respectively, who already have 20 years' national insurance contributions, of purchasing an additional nine years if they retire before April 2010 and an additional six years if they retire after April 2010, assuming in both cases a 10 per cent take-up.

Lord McKenzie of Luton: Estimates for the number of potential gainers and costs are shown in the following tables. The restriction of 20 years of contributions takes into account years where home responsibilities protection is in place.
	Table 1 (a) Allowing people reaching SPA between 2008-2010 to pay class 3 contributions for an additional nine years, and those reaching SPA after 2010 to pay class 3 contributions for an additional six years, provided that they already have at least 20 qualifying years (taking account of HRP), assuming 100 per cent take-up.
	
		
			  Net costs less revenue, £ million in 2007-08 price terms People taking up the option ('000s) 
			  2010 2020 2030 2040 2050 Net Present Value By end 2010 By 2020 
			 UK 130 170 130 60 15 1,590 345 520 
			 Overseas 60 190 165 100 30 2,440 75 190 
			 All 190 360 295 160 40 4,035 425 710 
		
	
	Table 1 (b) Allowing people reaching SPA between 2008-2010 to pay class 3 contributions for an additional nine years, and those reaching SPA after 2010 to pay class 3 contributions for an additional six years, provided that they already have at least 20 qualifying years (taking account of HRP), assuming 15 per cent take-up.
	
		
			  Net costs less revenue, £ million in 2007-08 price terms People taking up the option ('000s) 
			  2010 2020 2030 2040 2050 Net Present Value By end 2010 By 2020 
			 UK 20 25 20 10 0 240 50 80 
			 Overseas 10 30 25 15 5 365 10 30 
			 All 30 55 45 25 5 605 65 105 
		
	
	Table 1 (c) Allowing people reaching SPA between 2008-2010 to pay class 3 contributions for an additional nine years, and those reaching SPA after 2010 to pay class 3 contributions for an additional six years, provided that they already have at least 20 qualifying years (taking account of HRP), assuming 10 per cent take-up.
	
		
			  Net costs less revenue, £ million in 2007-08 price terms People taking up the option ('000s) 
			  2010 2020 2030 2040 2050 Net Present Value By end 2010 By 2020 
			 UK 15 15 15 5 0 160 35 50 
			 Overseas 5 20 15 10 5 245 10 20 
			 All 20 35 30 15 5 405 40 70 
		
	
	Source: Information about people's national insurance records has been obtained from the Lifetime Labour Market Database 2, 2005 release. Costs have been estimated based on mortality assumptions for Great Britain from the 2004-based population projections.
	Notes:
	1. Estimates for net costs have been rounded to the nearest £5 million. Estimates for potential gainers have been rounded to the nearest 5,000. Totals may not sum due to rounding.
	2. Estimates assume basic state pension is uprated in line with earnings from April 2012.
	3. Estimates assume that people buy additional class 3 national insurance contributions in whole years, even if less than 52 weeks of additional contributions are required to achieve a qualifying year. People buy these extra years when they reach state pension age.
	4. Estimates assume that the option to buy extra years is available to everybody with a national insurance record and can be used to fill any deficient year between 1975 and state pension age provided that there is not a valid married women's reduced election in force for the year in question.
	5. Estimates are for costs of increased category A pension net of any resulting reduction in entitlement to category B pension derived from a spouse's or former spouse's contributions.
	6. Estimates are based on a sample of national insurance records as at the end of the financial year 2003-04.
	7. Net costs take account of income-related benefit savings.
	8. Estimates show potential gainers. They will all increase their basic state pension entitlement if they take up the option but it is not known whether they will benefit from an increase in total income overall due to interactions with pension credit and other income-related benefits.
	9. The option has been limited to cohorts reaching SPA between 2008 and 2020 in line with previous estimates and in order to address the cliff-edge effects.
	10. Years refer to the financial year, ie 2010 covers the period 6 April 2010 to 5 April 2011.
	11. Net present value takes into account costs occurring before 2050. There may be small ongoing costs after this time.
	12. Given the uncertainty around how many people will take up such options, the 100 per cent take-up rate has also been included.

Northern Ireland Office: Dress Code

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What is the dress code for those working in the Northern Ireland Office while at work; when it was introduced; how it was devised; by whom; and how it is monitored.

Lord Rooker: The department has no formalised dress code for staff during working hours. For a small number of posts (eg security guards, canteen staff) there is a requirement to wear a uniform.

Northern Ireland Office: Website

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How much the Northern Ireland Office's website cost in 2007; how often is it updated; and by whom.

Lord Rooker: The cost of running the Northern Ireland Office website in 2007 was £8,633. Northern Ireland Information Service (NIIS), the communications directorate of the Northern Ireland Office, updates the website on a regular basis.

Northern Ireland: Bill of Rights

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by Lord Rooker on 12 March (WA 240) concerning the chairmanship of the Northern Ireland Bill of Rights Forum, for how many days the chairman was contracted to work; and how much he has been paid to date.

Lord Rooker: Mr Sidoti was contracted to work 70 days for the Bill of Rights Forum. The amount that Mr Sidoti has been paid to date is the same amount as forecasted, which was given in my Written Answer of 3 March (WA157).

Northern Ireland: Human Rights Commission

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What events in the Republic of Ireland were funded in part or whole by the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission in 2007.

Lord Rooker: I am advised that the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission did not fund any events in the Republic of Ireland in 2007.

Planning: Shops

Lord Dykes: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	When they expect to introduce legislation to enforce the impact assessment procedure under PPS 6 planning guidelines to assist local planning authorities in preserving small shops in high street shopping zones.

Baroness Andrews: We intend to publish the consultation on revisions to planning policy statement 6 in the summer.

Plastic Bags

Lord Dykes: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether the recent decline in usage of plastic bags is adequate.

Lord Rooker: The Government believe that further action needs to be taken to curb the wasteful distribution of the 13 billion carrier bags that are given out free each year. Therefore, as part of this year's Budget, it was announced that the Government would be introducing legislation to require retailers to impose a charge on single-use carrier bags from 2009 if we have not seen sufficient progress on a voluntary basis.

Police: Stop and Search

Lord Avebury: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What guidance they have given to the Metropolitan Police and other forces concerning meeting target proportions of ethnic groups under stop-and-search rules.

Lord West of Spithead: No guidance has been issued to the Metropolitan Police Service or other police forces concerning meeting target proportions of ethnic groups under stop-and-search rules. In order to reduce the trend in disproportionality of stops within ethnic groups, the National Policing Improvement Agency, in conjunction with the Association of Chief Police Officers, has produced practice advice on stop and search. This includes advice on stop-and-search procedures as well as a bespoke piece of guidance issued this year relating to stops and searches carried out under Section 44 of Terrorism Act 2000.

Questions for Written Answer

Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many House of Lords Questions for Written Answer were received by each department in the last parliamentary Session; and
	How many House of Lords Questions for Written Answer were received by each department in the 1996-97 parliamentary Session; and
	How many House of Lords Questions for Written Answer were not answered within 14 days in each of the last five parliamentary Sessions; and
	How many House of Lords Questions for Written Answer remained unanswered at the end of the last parliamentary Session; and
	How many House of Lords Questions for Written Answer in the last parliamentary Session were answered at greater cost than the disproportionate cost threshold, and what were those Questions.

Baroness Ashton of Upholland: A total of 5,702 Questions for Written Answer were tabled to Her Majesty's Government in the last parliamentary Session. Of these, 4,107 were answered within the 14-day deadline. The total number of Questions for Written Answer that remained unanswered at the end of the Session was 25.
	The total number of Questions for Written Answer in the 1996-97 parliamentary Session was 1,247.
	Information concerning Questions for Written Answer in earlier parliamentary Sessions is not available in the form requested. Departments do not maintain records on whether Questions were answered at greater cost than the disproportionate cost threshold.

Questions for Written Answer

Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by Lord Drayson on 29 March 2006 (WA 112), how they define "disproportionate effort"; and how this differs from their definition of "disproportionate cost".

Baroness Taylor of Bolton: The definition of disproportionate effort is the same as disproportionate cost; to answer the Question would exceed the disproportionate cost threshold. This was £600 when this Question was answered in 2006 and is currently £700.

Questions for Written Answer: Costs

Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What grade of civil servant salary they use to calculate the marginal cost of answering Questions for Written Answer; and what is the cost per hour of civil servants' time when spent answering these Questions.

Lord Davies of Oldham: The marginal cost of civil servants' time used to calculate the disproportionate threshold (DCT) for answering Written Parliamentary Questions (PQs) is based on a one-month sample of all Written Questions answered by those departments with the highest volume of Questions. The detailed calculations, which are carried out quinquennially, are based on actual staff time and actual average staff costs for the Civil Service grades answering the Questions in the sampled departments. The DCT is, therefore, based on an aggregate of the sample results, not on a predetermined grade or salary, and so it is not possible to provide a cost per hour.

Security Forces: Lurgan, County Armagh

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many members of the security forces have been murdered in Lurgan, County Armagh, since 1969; on what dates; how many of the culprits have been convicted; and what are the names of those culprits.

Lord Rooker: The following table shows that 28 members of the security forces have been murdered in the Lurgan station area since 1969. Details regarding convictions for such convictions are not recorded.
	
		
			 Number of security force members murdered in Lurgan station area 
			 Date of murder Type of security force personnel 
			 07-Nov-1971 Army 
			 24-Nov-1971 Army 
			 29-Feb-1972 UDR 
			 18-Jun-1972 Army 
			 18-Jun-1972 Army 
			 18-Jun-1972 Army 
			 08-Nov-1972 UDR 
			 05-Dec-1972 Army 
			 15-Dec-1972 Police 
			 07-Apr-1973 Army 
			 01-Dec-1973 Police 
			 18-Jun-1974 Police 
			 26-Aug-1974 Army 
			 07-Jul-1975 Police 
			 30-Mar-1976 Army 
			 31-Jul-1976 Police 
			 15-Nov-1976 UDR 
			 24-Feb-1977 Police 
			 27-Oct-1982 Police 
			 27-Oct-1982 Police 
			 27-Oct-1982 Police 
			 04-Jun-1984 UDR 
			 23-Sep-1990 UDR 
			 10-Nov-1990 Police 
			 10-Nov-1990 Police 
			 20-Dec-1990 Police 
			 16-Jun-1997 Police 
			 16-Jun-1997 Police 
			 Source:  Central Statistics Unit, Police Service of Northern Ireland, Lisnasharragh

St Andrews Agreement

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by Lord Rooker on 22 April (WA 291), whether it was their intention that the electorate should endorse the St Andrews Agreement in an election to the Northern Ireland Assembly in March.

Lord Rooker: Yes, this was the Government's intention.

Transport: Exceptional Loads

Earl Attlee: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether any person has been accredited with powers under paragraph 12 of Schedule 4 or paragraph 9 of Schedule 5 (Powers to control traffic for purposes of escorting a load of exceptional dimensions) to the Police Reform Act 2002; and, if not, why not.

Lord West of Spithead: The Home Office audit of police community support officer (PCSO) powers, conducted in May 2007, confirmed that PCSOs in 26 police force areas in England and Wales were designated with the power under paragraph 12 of Schedule 4 to the Police Reform Act 2002. Information on the accreditation of all powers under Schedule 5 to the Police Reform Act 2002, including paragraph 9, is currently being collated by the Home Office, along with the 2008 PCSO powers audit, and will be published later this year.